Millions of people living in low-resource settings go undiagnosed because they do not have access to diagnostics laboratories. Point-of-care diagnostic technologies are turning the table on this trend, bringing preventive screening, disease diagnostics, and disease monitoring tests to the field.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has become a popular therapy for patients with movement disorders that no longer respond to medication. The delicate surgery requires pinpoint precision when placing electrodes on brain structures responsible for movement. To assist surgeons and increase the number of successful patient outcomes, Vanderbilt University researchers have developed a robust database and suite of software tools that automate DBS planning, placement, and programming.

A team of NIH-funded researchers has successfully regenerated rabbit joints using a cutting edge process to form the joint inside the body, or in vivo. Regenerative in vivo procedures are performed by stimulating previously irreparable organs or tissues to heal themselves. In this study, bioscaffolds, or three-dimensional structures made of biocompatible and biodegradable materials in the shape of the tissue, were infused with a protein to promote growth of the rabbit joint.

Minimally invasive surgery has experienced tremendous advances in the past decade. New systems incorporate robotics and increasing flexibility, but their size and cost limit widespread use. In addition, only a small percentage of surgeons undertake the steep learning curve required to master minimally invasive techniques. A new compact robotic system created by Columbia University researchers gives surgeons a highly flexible, user-friendly tool with three-dimensional imaging to operate in tight spaces

Taking advantage of the agility and inherent dexterity of the tongue, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a tongue-operated device that can help paralyzed people return to active, independent, and productive lives.

To treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a condition in which blood clots form in the veins of the lower legs, physicians currently have two options: systemic drug therapy or invasive clot removal. Both carry a risk of major bleeding and require a hospital stay. A new technique developed by University of Michigan researchers offers a noninvasive, localized treatment that nearly eliminates bleeding risk. The technique, called histotripsy, uses focused sound waves to break up clots and could make DVT treatment an outpatient procedure.

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), clinicians can pinpoint potentially lethal plaques that accumulate in the main artery leading to the brain. However, MRI cannot predict which plaques may rupture and cause a stroke. A new computer model developed by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Mass., Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., and the University of Washington, Seattle, provides such an assessment by calculating the structural stresses each plaque experiences. The model offers physicians a more precise way to evaluate each plaque and tailor treatment to individual patients.